


Fish, Swords, and Love

by DanieXJ



Category: Stargate SG-1, Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-01
Updated: 2011-03-01
Packaged: 2017-11-20 20:19:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanieXJ/pseuds/DanieXJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Stargate SG-1 Heroes Fix, as well as a Xena: Warrior Princess FIN fix.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place around Feb. 2009 in the Stargate SG-1 Universe. Sam is the Commander of the Hammond. And it takes place before the episodes titled "Friend In Need – Part 1" and "Friend In Need – Part 2" in the Xena Universe.

Colonel Carter hunched over the work table in her basement. She worked slowly, deliberately, barely ever blinking and never looking away. The only sound that of her chair squeaking now and then. She could fix a Stargate with twine and a pig's bladder, but could not get her work chair to stop squeaking. There was a knock on the door that separated her workshop part of the basement from the rest of it. "It's open."

A tall brunette woman poked her head in a second later her body followed. "Sam?"

"Just... one sec Cass."

Cassandra Fraiser put her overnight bag down on a pile of boxes. "Are you okay?"

Sam put down her tools and straightened up. Her back crackled like popcorn. "I'm 39. No one really loves me, except for you, I missed out on my own kids, haven't even had a date for years and years it seems like. Not that I could if I wanted to. I sold my soul to the Air Force for some... some reason I just can't dredge up anymore."

Cassie draped her arms over Sam's shoulders and rested her head on top of the blonde's. "You've saved the world more times than anyone can keep track of. You could probably sell all your medals for scrap and retire. You created a Naquadah generator that..."

"...that's been used as a bomb more often than an energy source.

Cassie wasn't really listening, "You've trained some of the best SGC team members, and... so much more."

"But, is it worth it?"

Cassie took a step back and held her hands to her sides, "Was I worth it?"

Sam turned in her chair and met Cassie's eyes, "Definitely."

"You saved the world from a big ole asteroid too."

"Cass, stop. That was just lucky."

Cassie grabbed Sam by the arm and yanked her up, "C'mon. I'm taking you to dinner. A couple of steaks, a rare still beating one for you, a... better cooked one for me. Some mashed red potatoes and maybe some alcohol."

Sam was silent, "I get what you're trying to do. I just can't."

Cassie put an arm around Sam's shoulders, "Please Sam. You're my only real connection to Janet. Please."

Sam took another moment before she nodded, "Let me just finish this and I'll be right up."

"You'd better be."

oOOOOo

"Hey Jane. How're you doing?"

A short brunette gave the tall black haired woman behind the chest high circulation desk a smile. The short woman shed her coat and joined the tall woman at the desk. "I'm fine Mel. Has the great and mighty Chance Public Library been busy this morning?"

Mel crossed her arms over her chest and regarded the shorter woman. Mel and the woman she'd always known as Jane were as different as could be. Mel was tall with a solidly muscular runner's build, she had short dark black hair cut in a way that made it look as though she'd just stuck her hand in a live electrical socket. While Jane was short with more of an hourglass figure, with light brown hair that fell to her shoulders.

One thing that they did have in common were their green eye color. Mel's seemed to dance with fire and mischief, while Jane's seemed to have a buried pain in them.

Mel's were twinkling as she spoke, "Not busy, not yet, but you know what's about to get out."

Jane closed her eyes with a wince, "Story time. Two and three year olds."

Mel smirked, "Yep. So... any new memories popping up?"

Jane shook her head, "Nope, so, you can report that back to your nosy neurologist neighbor."

Mel laughed, "I think I'll tell 'er that exactly. Have you found out anything? Missing person reports? Anything?"

Jane sighed and typed her library card number into the computer. "No, nothing." She had four books out and a DVD. The books were all about the psychology of memory. She was going through every one that the library's Network owned. The DVD was something that had caught her eye one day when she'd been re-shelving stuff. It was called "Chariots of the Gods", based on a book of the same name. The author, Erich von Daniken had the theory that perhaps the gods of many cultures had actually been aliens. For some reason, the theory made perfect sense to her, and she'd spent many fruitless hours trying to figure out why.

Jane cleared the screen. The name Jane Smith disappeared. Mel waited for Jane to elaborate on her what she was doing to find out who the hell she was. Finally Jane looked up and spoke, "I've started looking at major newspapers. See if there's a story somewhere about... me? Or something."

She shook her head as the first two year old came stomping down the stairs, followed by his mother. She called behind her into the Circulation office, "Georgina...," for the Circulation Head, she and Mel's boss. Jane found that funny too, but couldn't figure out why. Something else she didn't understand about herself.

The boy climbed the stool and gave Jane a smile while he slapped his books on the counter. Jane swallowed a wince at the loud noise and smile back. "Hello Chuckie. Do you have your card kiddo?"

oOOOOo

"Dr. Zoor, we need to go."

Doctor Peter Zoor waved his hand, "This is the earliest Goa'uld settlement we've found. I think."

Lieutenant Maria Sandoval laughed, "Doctor, the Goa'uld are toast. We don't need info on them anymore. Hell, there's really no one left out there. We're safe."

Peter groaned, "I'm talking about learning about our own past." He pointed at a symbol, "This is Ra. Ra... the central figure in the Ancient Egyptians religion. Possibly in other religions too."

Captain Jennifer Hailey spoke up, "Not to mention, every time we solve on problem race, a new and more powerful Goa'uld, more of the Replicators, or new Ori like people, Ancients, someone totally new pops up. That said Doctor..." She glanced over at her commanding officer, Major Reggie Carlson. "Major Carlson's correct, something's coming."

Peter rolled his eyes, "And you claim to be a scient..." He didn't get to finish his sentence as he was thrown forward into Maria. She scrambled out from under him and for half a second just stood there. Peter no longer had a back of his skull, or an occipital lobe. "Shit."

The three Air Force Officers moved as one, sprinting towards the Stargate. They were twenty feet from the gate when Jen heard two staff blasts hit Maria and heart the Lieutenant fall. Jen and Major Carlson were barely steps away from the DHD when she saw his head explode from his shoulders.

She whirled, her P90 in one hand, her Zat in the other. With a primal scream she barely was conscious of making she sprayed the area with bullets and Zat blasts.

Somehow she bought herself seconds and turned her back on her impending death. Dialing the gate, she started for it before it even had a chance to whoosh. She rolled and punched in her GDO code. She imagined that the whoosh took some hair for its trouble. She sprung to her left, dashed up the few stairs to the puddle and dove.

Captain Jennifer Hailey almost made it home in one piece. She was mere centimeters from the event horizon when she felt the horrible heat of a staff blast on her back.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam stepped into the control room just as klaxons went off. She'd dropped Cassie off after dinner at home, but had some experiments to check up on. The Stargate came on and the Iris twirled closed. Walter spoke, "I'm receiving SG-13's IDC. Captain Hailey's."

Sam opened her mouth, but it was General Landry who spoke, "Open the Iris."

Walter did and a half a second later Jen came flying through. She was yelling, "Close it, close it, close it."

Walter did so as Sam rushed down into the gate room and General Landry called for a med team.

Sam slid to a stop at the bottom and bounded up the ramp. She went to the ground next to Jen. She could see death in Jen's eyes, so the Colonel cut to the chase. "Who was it Jen? Who?"

The Captain coughed, "Horus... Horus guards. Only..." She took another breath in and coughs took over again. She gasped out, "Ra... planet worshiped. Peter said, worshiped, before he..."

Sam put a hand on Jen's shoulder, "It's okay, you'll..."

"No." A cough, "Ra, it was Ra, I saw, right before dialing."

"Jen. Ra's de..."

Another coughing fit interrupted Sam, "My lab." A cough, this time blood came up.

"No Jen."

The Captain practically yelled at her mentor, "Different. Listen Sam." She dissolved into coughs, finally though, she got enough breath in to be able to speak, "249XF37G. 249XF37G. I... I didn't know. Real or not..." Her eyes drifted closed and opened again, "I'm sorry."

Sam was pushed away as the med team arrived. She went back down to the bottom of the ramp and stepped off, watching Doctor Lam and the rest of the med team work on Jen. But Sam had been around death on a near constant basis for the previous twelve years, she knew that Jen was long gone. General Landry joined her, "She'll..."

Sam shook her head, "No. No, she won't be okay." Sam cleared her throat, "She thinks she saw Horus guards, and that she saw Ra."

"We've seen Horus Jaffa, working for other Goa'ulds."

Sam nodded, "But these days there shouldn't be Jaffa running around in the service of a Goa'uld." She paused, "But Jen said that Doctor Zoor thought it might be a place where Ra had been worshiped. I don't know." Sam stared at the activity on the ramp. Right in that moment Doctor Carolyn Lam reminded her of Janet. Neither doctor gave up until they had to, on everyone of course, but especially on the soldiers. "Sir, I... I need-"

General Landry barely caught Sam before she hit the ground and helped her to stand up straight again, "Colonel Carter, when was the last time you ate?"

"I don't."

A deep voice spoke, "General Landry, with your permission. I will take Colonel Carter to the mess hall."

General Landry nodded and without another word Teal'c put an arm around Sam and practically yanked her out of the gate room. Sam mumbled, "I'm not hungry Teal'c."

Teal'c paused and nodded. "Then we will go elsewhere."

oOOOOo

The rush settled after a half an hour and Mel won the toss for who got to go re-shelve the basement fiction. On her bright orange book cart stood Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance and even some Historical Fiction. Mel ran her hand along the titles and plucked one from the Historicals. It was a mystery set in ancient Egypt.

She stared at the cover, at a woman who looked nothing like an Egyptian, shook her head and put it on the shelf.

oOOOOo

"I could just walk into the woods. Let nature do what it wants with me. Hell, I've screwed with it enough. I probably have some deep seated Karma coming my way and not the good kind."

Teal'c was silent for a moment, "You should not blame yourself for Jennifer Hailey's death. There was nothing that could have been done for her.

Sam shook her head, "If I'd just let her wash out, she'd be somewhere, making millions, or... or at least alive. But no, I can never let anything go."

Teal'c looked up at the clear blue sky, "A fact that I, almost everyone at Stargate Command, as well as every person, plant and animal on Earth and countless other worlds are appreciative of."

Sam shook her head, "I should have made her retire, we could have gotten away with it, and I've saved the world enough to warrant a little leeway with that particular reg. Hell, Hammond's my godfather, he would have looked the other way. Landry may have too..."

Teal'c blinked, "We are no longer speaking of Jennifer Hailey."

Sam looked over, "I... yes."

"Janet Fraiser." Teal'c was silent for another bit, thinking of what else he could say, though Sam didn't seem to notice. "I do believe that you would have had to be the one to resign from the Air Force Colonel Carter."

Sam let out a little chuckle, "You're probably right Teal'c. She loved the puzzles and being on the bleeding edge of... everything. Just like I do. She was just so amazing. She taught me so much about myself. I was never quite sure why she loved me. I mean, I knew that she did, just not why she would. I... I just put the constant fear that I'd die into her heart every day."

"That's a bunch of... hogwash." Sam turned and stared at Teal'c. At his word choice. "Although I was not as close to her as you were Samantha Carter, I do know that she would not have shared a life with you, a daughter with you, unless you brought... something more than her fearing for your life to the relationship. You sell yourself quite short."

Sam shrugged and stood, "Guess we'll never know."

Teal'c stood as well and changed the subject, "What did Captain Hailey tell you before she... passed on?"

Sam and Teal'c started back towards the 'secret' back way into the SGC. "Uh, a number and letter combo. Probably a password to her private files."

"Should you not check it out?"

Sam pried open the hatch, "We have a briefing."

Teal'c frowned as much as Teal'c ever frowned, "I thought that you were no longer under General Landry's command."

"I'm not. I'm just working here on... sabbatical... from Command of the Hammond. Not sure what's going on." She gestured towards the hatch, "We'll have to go find out. Age before beauty."

oOOOOo

It was a slow shift at the Circ desk. The library wasn't a big one, but nearly every city, town, and village had some sort of public library in Maine and the town of Chance was no different.

Their biggest collection was in the Childrens' department. Which also happened to have the most staff. The Circulation department only had three staffers. Jane, Mel Wirth and their boss Georgina Longe. It made for long shifts for all of them, but Jane didn't mind. It kept her mind off the fact that she had no clue who she was, where she'd come from, if anyone was looking for her, if anyone cared.

She was jerked out of her reverie by one of her favorite patrons. She'd met Mrs. Abrams on her first day two years before. Mrs. A, as all the librarians called her, was an elderly lady who was quite stooped over, with a full head of entirely white hair and a brain that was laser quick. She also had quite the sense of humor.

She patted Jane on the hand. "Are you feeling well young one? Have you forgotten my name now?" She smiled with what looked to most people like an angelic smile and spoke slowly, "Maeve Abrams."

Jane shook her head with a smile as she took Maeve's card and pulled the stack of Large Print books closer, "No Mrs. A, I'm well. Just a little lost in thought."

Maeve gave Jane's arm another pat, "You'll remember who you are dear."

Jane pushed the books back towards Maeve, a slip of paper on top. "I try to believe that, but..."

Maeve smiled as she loaded up her Chance Public Library bag with her books. "Dear, if you don't get your memory back I'm sure your knight in shining armor will come for you."

"I..." Jane paused, "I don't think there is one."

Maeve hefted the bag onto her shoulder, "Dear Jane. Everyone has a knight, you just have to let them find you."

Jane glanced up. Another patron was waiting to be helped. "I'll see you next week Mrs. A."

"Not if I see you first young lady."

oOOOOo

Colonel Cameron Mitchell and Daniel Jackson were already at the conference table when Teal'c and Sam came up the steps. For a brief second Sam flashed back to the first time she'd walked into the SGC's conference room. A bunch of men in uniform blue had stared back at her as if she were from another planet. For what seemed like forever in the first year or two she could see the doubt in the eyes of the men she served with, commanded. They didn't know whether they should trust that she had any idea what she was doing. Of course, no one had questioned whether she could do the job for quite a long time since then. Save the world a couple of times and the boys club makes an exception.

"Sam. Long time no see."

Sam smiled, "Daniel. Cam. So. Do you two know why we're here?"

Cameron smirked just a bit, "If they haven't told the super secret agent golden girl, you think we know?"

Sam shook her head, but was prevented from responding when General Landry entered the room. Cameron and Sam sat up a bit straighter as General Landry silently sat.

The General didn't speak for a moment, "I'll start with you Sam. You're off your special project, and since the Hammond is in dry dock at the moment you'll take the new, still unnamed 304 to P4X-188."

It was Daniel who spoke up, "It's ready?"

Before General Landry could speak, Sam did. "Not at all. It's just bare bones. Hyperdrive, a couple of chairs." She glanced at General Landry, "I didn't think it was ready to fly."

"It will fly. It will also only have a skeleton crew."

"I'll need Lt. Colonel Kevin Marks, Major Catherine Ambrose, and Lieutenant Keyla Silmon sir."

Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, General, why are we here?"

"You're going as well. If it is Ra, I need the people who have gone up against him before there."

Cameron frowned, "But, this is a recon mission?"

"Our recon missions never seem to end that way."

"Jack."

"Daniel."

General Jack O'Neill came all the way up the stairs. He was in BDUs, just as the rest of the team formerly known as SG-1. "I'll be going along as well."

Sam sat up a bit straighter, "General?"

Jack motioned in a 'chill out' way with his hands, "You're still the Captain Colonel. Though, you break it, you bought it. I'm just there as an advisor."

Everyone fell silent, watching the interplay between Jack and Sam. "An advisor. Alright." She looked at General Landry, "Sir, if I won't be here, then I need to put my experiments on hold."

Before General Landry could speak, Jack did, "Can you get someone else to oversee them?"

"I can ge..." Sam trailed off to uncomfortable silence. She'd been about to say, yes, that Jen could look after them. She cleared her throat, "Ah, yes, yes sir. I'll find someone."

General Landry looked around. "If that's all. The 304 will transport you all at 1800 hours. Dismissed."

Sam was gone from the room like a shot. Jack frowned after her, "Is she okay?"

Daniel shook his head, "I don't think she has been for quite a while Jack."

Jack frowned after her, but slowly nodded.

oOOOOo

Mel put an arm around Jane. "Goin' home?"

"That was the plan."

"Well, you need to get out, stimulation is supposed to bring back your memories."

Jane gave Mel a little bit of a smirk, "Stimulation huh?"

Mel blushed, "If not tonight, then tomorrow. Promise me, and making rude jokes will not deter me. Believe me Jan, I've heard it all. I know the perfect place. It'll be great food, not romantic at all. I promise."

"What... what did you call me?"

"Jan? No 'e'. Hey, Jane it is then. So..."

Jane was silent as they walked to their cars. Finally she nodded, "Okay. Tomorrow, after work."

"Good. I have a feeling it will change your life."

oOOOOo

"Is that The Mummy in the background?"

Sam sat in her lab, a phone to her ear.

On the other end of the phone a chuckle came from Cassie. "Nah, it's Mummy Returns. You're going on a mission."

Sam paused, "How did you know?"

Sam could almost hear Cassie's shrug on the other end of the line. "It's a tone. Mom could..." Cassie cleared her throat. "She could tell too. I mean, when she didn't already know. Did you, ah, have a reason for phonin' home?"

Sam smiled, "That movie's from before your time."

"Yeah,b ut I'm on a Drew Barrymore thing at the moment. The favor?"

"Could you come to the base. Jen gave me a... password before she died, but I have..."

"...to go save the world. Okay. Hit me."

Sam recited the number, "249XF37G."

There was silence from the other end of the phone, "Any idea what it is? What the big secret is?"

"No idea. Cass, you know I love you."

Sam could hear the smile in Cassie's response, "I love you too Sam. Stay safe and don't let anything take over your body."

"You're hilarious."

Cassie chuckled, "I know."

"Good-bye Cassandra."

"Bye."

Sam hung up and shook her head, "How can your adopted daughter be so like you Janet." Sam stared up at the ceiling, "Watch over her Janet."


	3. Chapter 3

**~ About 2025 Years Ago**

"Why do you think we're here Xena?"

Xena glanced around the glade where they'd spent the night. They were collecting their things, tidying up their campsite, preparing to move onto wherever they found themselves next. "Um, because we went to sleep here last night?"

"Xena."

Xena pretended as though she'd just gotten what Gabrielle was saying. "Oh, oh, you mean here, alive, right."

"Well?" Gabrielle sheathed her Sais in her boots and stood, waiting for Xena's answer.

"Gabrielle. I'm here because I'm here."

"But, what's peoples' purpose here?"

Xena shook her head, "No idea, that's definitely above my rank in life. I'm just a warrior who's going to go and go until someone stops me. Now, we, need to get going, unless you were planning staying here another night." A smile came to her face, "Which, I wouldn't mind, waterfalls are always st..."

The rest of her words were muffled by Gabrielle's hand over her mouth. "No, we're moving. I'm in dire need of an actual bed Xena."

Xena raised an eyebrow and Gabrielle dropped her hand, "Bed. I think I can..."

They were interrupted when a short, balding man came running up to them, totally out of breath and quite red in the face. "Are, are you X-xena?"

Xena took a whiff of the man and winced, "Yes. Let me guess, flooded farm?"

The man looked even more stunned, "H-how did you kn-know?"

Gabrielle rolled her eyes and put a hand on the man's shoulder, "Lead the way sir, we'll help however we can."

oOOOOo

Xena had promised that the path they were taking was a shortcut to a small town that had an inn. Gabrielle would believe it when she saw it. Gabrielle frowned as she spotted what looked like a broken wagon in the middle of the path, she started to speak, but Xena put a hand on her back and she fell silent.

As they approached the wagon two women stepped out from behind it and one of them spoke, "Obi tan. Nemet Kree."

Gabrielle looked at Xena, who shrugged, "Not any language I recognize."

The shorter of the two women tilted her head to one side for a moment, some of her dirty blonde hair falling into her eyes. After a minute of simply looking at Xena and Gabrielle she spoke to the taller, dark haired woman with her in their language. Finally she gave what seemed like an order because the tall woman nodded and brought her right fist up to the left side of her chest and spoke, "Arik tre'ac te kek."

The short woman made the same gesture, "Arik tre'ac te kek."

The tall woman left the area at a jog, leaving the short one with Xena and Gabrielle. Gabrielle gave the woman a little smile, "My name is Gabrielle."

The short woman's eyes didn't move from Xena's face as she responded in Greek, "I am Hafiz."

Xena raised an eyebrow, "That's a male's name."

Hafiz tilted her head to one side, "All women are full of contradictions. What do you want here?"

Gabrielle put herself in between Xena and Hafiz. "Nothing. We're travelers who, on occasion, help people out of trouble."

"Who is she?"

Gabrielle glanced over her shoulder before looking back at Hafiz with a half a smile, "Would you believe that she's a simple innkeeper from Amphipolis?"

Hafiz stared at Xena. "No."

Xena chuckled, "Xena."

"You're dead."

Xena held her hand up in front of her face for a moment, "Apparently not, at least, not this week. What's in the wagon?"

Hafiz practically stood at attention. "It does not concern you. You will leave now, or we will make you leave."

Xena glanced to one side, then the other. There was no one visible. "Ah, you mean your five... lady friends. I assume they're all armed to the teeth like you are? They have no chance against me, Hades, they have no chance against little pipsqueak here..."

"Hey." Gabrielle gave Xena a push, and a smirk appeared on the warrior princesses' lips. "I can't help my height, can you help your smell."

Xena narrowed her eyes at the blonde, "Uh, uh, I do not smell."

Gabrielle laughed, "That's good, 'cause you definitely stink."

"Well, it was your idea to save those insane pigs from their deaths. I was perfectly happy to wait a while and have ham for dinner. But no, have to save all the animals, even the ornery ones to kick you in places that should never be kicked."

"Xeenna..."

Hafiz's shook her head, "Perhaps you two aren't quite the threat we thought you were."

Xena's eyes pinned Hafiz with a look. "Oh, no, we're more threat than you can handle, but, we've had a long day. So, no butt kicking until the morning. Would you like help with your wagon? At least to get it off the path?"

A voice came from behind Gabrielle and Xena, "We don't need anyone's help. Move on."

Xena met Gabrielle's gaze and shrugged, "Fine, we're moving. There's a town a little bit down the road if you change your mind."

The tall woman, Shamira, gave Xena a push from behind but before she could blink she was on her back with Xena's sword at her throat, Xena's knee on her chest. "Don't mistake my leaving with you having won."

Xena stood and turned her back on the woman as Shamira shot to her feet, fury written across every muscle of her body. Hafiz held up a hand though, and Shamira didn't move. "So, you ready for that bed and meal Gabrielle."

It took all Gabrielle had to simply nod and smile at her best friend. It took hard work to be nonchalant with your back turned to what looked to Gabrielle very much like some sort of Amazon. "I am. Do you think there'll be a bath involved."

"Oh, there'd better be. The uh, food at the inn we're going to isn't, the, uh, best around."

Gabrielle groaned, "Are you going to have to cut some guys' hand off for touching me too?"

Xena smirked and put an arm around Gabrielle's shoulders, "Oh, one can only hope."


	4. Chapter 4

Cassie stood in Jennifer Hailey's lab totally still. She could still feel the woman's presence. Cassie was been a teen when Jen had come onto Sam's radar. At first Cassie had been jealous of the brilliant young woman. Cassie had been an alien kid who didn't feel like she fit in, add to that being a teen and everything seemed a million times harder and a billion times not fair. One day Cassie had exploded at Sam, accusing her of taking the easy way out and finding the perfect daughter instead of loving the one she was stuck with, Cassie.

Cassie smiled to herself at the memory. Janet had gone off on her. Whew. Yelling and yelling. How Cassie could have been dead if it weren't for Sam, how Sam would have loved to adopt Cassie, had even tried, but the Air Force wouldn't agree to it, and on and on.

When Janet had taken a breath Sam had gently led Janet by the arm outside and the entire house had gone still and silent. Cassie couldn't have said how long she sat there in the silence before Sam had come back into the house alone. They'd had a long talk about who Cassie was to Sam, who Sam was to Cassie, and Cassie had also gotten sternly talked to about disrespecting her mother. It was the first time that Sam had ever laid down the law to Cassie, had been the disciplinarian.

Cassie tilted her head to one side as she wondered if Janet had known somewhere in her soul on that day what was going to happen to her on that planet a couple of years later. She'd always meant to ask Sam what she and Janet had talked about outside, but had never gotten up quite enough courage to do so.

Cassie shook herself out of her reverie and sat down at Jen's former workstation. She woke it up and after a second's pause she punched in the sequence that Jen had used her dying breaths to impart to Sam. Cassie really hoped whatever it unlocked wasn't some love letter to Mentor Sam.

A screen popped up, followed by a browser that opened to a cached page. It was a forum for relatives of missing persons.

"Hmmm." Cassie found Jen's username and checked out her activity. "Looking for a missing Hailey brother. Went missing her freshman year at the Academy."

Cassie went back to the threads list and went in a couple of them. Then, while reading one of them she froze. "Oh my God." She read it again, but the words didn't change. "Right hair, eye color, right height and weight, and descriptors. My God."

Cassie paused, then her fingers flew across the keyboard, she wasn't as good as Sam or Jen, or any of the computer geeks on the base, but she knew enough, and she was sitting at a secret government terminal. That gave her a bit of a leg up when it came to intelligence gathering. When she found it, the answer to where the message was posted from was confusing. "A library in Midcoast Maine?" She glanced down at her watch, then picked up the phone by the computer, "Colonel Davis, sir. It's Cadet Fraiser. Yes, sir, I'm well, I need a really, really big favor sir."

oOOOOo

Sam stood at the back of the bridge with SG-1 past and present. She addressed Daniel and Jack. "Could he be alive?"

The two men answered as one, "No."

Sam nodded, "Well, Jen seemed sure that it was Ra. Not an impostor, not another Goa'uld using Horus guards, but Ra. So, we'll approach this mission as if she did see Ra. Daniel, the planet, P5X-534?"

Daniel opened a folder, but didn't look down at it. "We don't know a whole lot. I've looked at what little we have from the MALP, but it's only by the Stargate and as we know, a lot of civilizations simply leave the Stargate as they find it, and who knows, there could be a Tollan or Nox society beyond what the team saw. But, I don't see anything that indicates that Ra ruled the planet. From what there is, it seems as those on the planet worshiped Neith, sometimes she's the mother of Ra in the Egyptian Pantheon, sometimes not. It's a connection, but we've never run across any documentation that she was a Goa'uld."

"Just has a namesake Hak'tyl Jaffa."

Daniel nodded, "The goddess was considered a war goddess, as well as one of wisdom. Supposedly she was even the arbiter of a dispute between Horus, Heru'ur, and Seth. There are those that equate Neith and Artemis or Athena."

Sam regarded Daniel, "And you Daniel?"

"I've never met anyone who worshiped Neith."

Jack shook his head, "There are only so many archaeologists who can phrase it that way. Okay people, we'll be there in a few hours. Everybody needs to get some shut eye."

There was a 'yes sir' from Cameron, a 'yeah, yeah, yeah' from Daniel and silence from Teal'c and Sam. The three men went towards the corridor and left the bridge heading to their quarters, and since the ship was pretty much empty, they definitely had their choice.

Sam didn't move from her spot, "Colonel Carter, you too."

Sam gave a short shake of her head, "No sir. My ship-," Sam paused, "-unless you were planning on changing that, I stay up with her."

Jack was silent for a long moment before he nodded, "Very well Colonel." And followed the other guys out.

Sam went to the front of the bridge and slid into the Command Chair. Kevin Marks, her XO on the George Hammond turned halfway so that he could see his CO's face. "He doesn't know?"

Sam shook her head. "How are the engines looking?"

Kevin glanced back at Sam. "Weren't they tweaked by you?"

Sam rolled her eyes, "Fine, fine, you get that point, they're doing well. Now, if everyone's done giving me grief, would someone get me a line to the SGC?"

oOOOOo

Cassie whacked the side of the GPS unit as she took a turn. "Good for nothing British accent lady. Crazy, stupid New England horses and their roads. And, of course, no one happened to stuff an actual map anywhere."

"Turn left, turn left."

"Shut the hell up, shut the hell up. Oh, a sign." Cassie followed the arrow, "Telling me to turn left to get to the library. Uh..." Cassie gave the GPS a pat, "Sorry 'bout that British lady."

She followed the signs until she got to a three car parking lot. She parked and stared at the entrance to the building. Right beside it was a sign with the hours. She looked down at her watch and hurried a little, they were almost closed.

Still, even though it was near closing time she took her time entering the library. When she did, books were the first thing that she saw. A rainbow of spines and covers of all shapes and sizes of books.

A voice spoke. One she immediately recognized. "I'm sorry, but we're about to close. We'll be open at ten am tomorrow."

Cassie slowly turned and stared. She was sure that her heart could be seen trying to escape out from between her ribs. She blinked and started around the desk. A tall woman tried to get in her way, but Cassie pushed her to one side, scattering books everywhere, and landing the surprised woman on her rump.

Jane backed into a corner and there was no where to go. "I... I'm not sure what you want, what I..."

Cassie grabbed Jane in a hug that was so hard that Jane was sure she heard one of her ribs snap in two. For a moment the brunette resisted, but then, when Jane heard a half of a sob she frowned and put her arms around Cassie's neck and hugged back.

After what felt like forever, Cassie finally let go of Jane and took a step back. "My God, Janet, Mom..."

Janet took one step back, then another, bumping into a shelf of books, her hand on her heart. "Di-did you ju-just say Mom?" Cassie nodded, "But, the doctor, she thought, no kids."

"Adopted."

Janet processed this, "But, you..." she stared at the tallish young woman that was giving her all she'd wanted since she woke up in the hospital. "...you know me."

Cassie nodded slowly, "I do. Cassandra Fraiser. Uh, actually, Cadet Cassandra Fraiser." For a reason that Janet still didn't understand Cassie blushed.

Janet blinked, and stared, stunned silent. "And, what's my name?"

"Janet Fraiser. You're a medical doctor and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force."

"Oh," Mel was up and managed to catch Janet before she hit the ground, "Of course."


	5. Chapter 5

**~ About 2025 Years Ago**

"We should go to Japa." Xena sat against the head board of the inn's sadly lacking bed, her eyes closed.

Leaned against Xena's chest was Gabrielle, slowly writing on a scroll. "Mmmhmmm..."

"And these women warriors, they seemed to be up to something, right?"

"Mmmhmmm..."

Gabrielle looked up at Xena's relaxed face, "And then I'll cover Virgil in honey and lick it off wi..."

"Hey."

Gabrielle smiled, "X, where were you?"

Xena shook her head, "Just thinking. We should find your- women warriors-. I think the language they were speaking sounded vaguely Egyptian."

"Stop."

Xena frowned, "Stop?"

Gabrielle put aside her scroll and quill and turned so that her cheek was against Xena's chest, "Stop thinking, puzzling, worrying."

Gabrielle could practically feel Xena bristle, "I do not- worry. And why should I... stop... all this?"

Gabrielle smiled, "Because it will be there tomorrow and... how often are we in an inn?"

Xena gave a faux yawn, "Sleep, right."

Xena's name rumbled under Gabrielle's breath, and it was Xena's turn to smile, "No sleep?"

oOOOOo

"Now what?"

Shamira sighed, "Now you speak their language."

"She will give us help if we ask. We are only six and this cannot be lost." Hafiz put her hand against the side of the wagon.

Shamira stared at Hafiz for a long time, her hands on her hips. Finally she bowed her head just a bit, "You are the leader."

Hafiz gave the wagon a pat and met Shamira's eyes, "Go, bring them back."

Shamira winced, "Even the one that talks too much."

Hafiz laughed for the first time in quite a long time, "Yes. Can you not see soulmates when you meet them? Go, we'll be here."

oOOOOo

"Xena, I can hear you thinking." Gabrielle felt a chuckle. "We're going out in the dead of night to find them and help them even if they don't want it. You know... I'm glad that I've rubbed off on you, but uh-" Xena rolled out of bed and Gabrielle sighed. "We're going to go save the day and the people who don't want us to save them."

Xena paused and turned. She knelt down next to the bed and put a hand on Gabrielle's cheek. "It's more than just- wannabe soldiers and men they might meet on the road, can't you feel it?"

Gabrielle closed her eyes and leaned into Xena's hand. "Not this time, no, but..." Her eyes opened and she smiled, "Where you go I go."

"Always."

"Always."

oOOOOo

No animal in the forest was getting a good night's sleep. The clanging of swords echoed off the trees, leaves and two warrior women who were dashing as fast as they could towards the sounds. Xena's war cry split the air and got the attention of the ten or so silver helmeted attackers away from the women on the ground. Her sword slashed through the air as her Chakram took off one of their heads. Gabrielle wasn't going to be left out of the fight as she waded in, dodging and weaving while she inflicted her own damage with her Sais.

Hafiz watched from the ground as the two women and her own warrior, Shamira took the fight to the silver helmeted men. The two women seemed to know each others' thoughts and the way they fought together was almost like a finely choreographed dance. Hafiz winced as the round circle killing thingie returned to Xena. It looked as though it was going to take Gabrielle's head off, but even though her back was to it, she ducked and Xena caught it with a laugh and a bounce of her feet. Hafiz realized that the soldiers were either dead, dying or had run off. She pushed herself up, wincing as the cut to her arm opened a bit more and made her way to Shamira's side. Even Shamira looked a bit amazed at the two women. "Wh-who are you?" Xena wiped off her sword and sheathed it.

Gabrielle did the same for her Sias. "The better question would be, who are you."


	6. Chapter 6

Janet, Mel and Cassie were outside the library, since it had been closed up by the janitor. They stood around and no one but Cassie even moved.

Cassie paced one way, then the other, back and forth. "Damn, I wish I wasn't a Cadet." She paused her pacing and glanced over at Janet, "and how are you here at all?" Cassie resumed pacing. "How many years have you been... aware that you have no memories?"

"Four years."

Cassie kept moving, "Four years, four years. February 2005. That's when you were, found here. Hmmm..." Cassie ground to a halt, "Of course." She whacked herself on the forehead, "I'm an idiot. Sam's funny story. The fish, the pond. Thee don't screw with time or Uncle Jack will wind up with fish in his pond."

"I thought the whole point of Colonel O'Neill's pond was that it didn't have fish?" Janet blinked, "Wait, how, who is Colonel O'Neill and what's the point of a pond without fish?" Janet put a hand over her eyes, "This, that was more memories than I've remembered - ever, but I'm cold and hungry and I-I ride a bike to work."

Cassie looked up, surprised, but Janet waved her off, "Not that sort of bike, one with skinny wheels and spokes that whistle." Janet sighed, "I have an apartment close by though. And I'm sure you're hungry too Cassie."

Before Cassie could respond Mel interrupted, "I'm going with you two."

Janet put a hand on Mel's shoulder and Cassie frowned, "Mel, thank you, but I'll..."

Mel shook her head, "No. Either I go with you two, or you go home alone Jane... Janet."

Janet looked between Cassie and Mel. "Is, is that okay with you Cassie?"

Cassie frowned at the tall woman, and tilted her head to one side, "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Mel's arms were on her hips, and her eyes practically burned with protectiveness. "Nope."

Cassie inclined her head. "Lead the way."

oOOOOo

"Marks."

He cut Sam off, "My finger's on the transport button. Don't get your arms cut off at the shoulders."

Jack, Cameron, Teal'c, Daniel, Vala and Sam blinked out of existence on the ship and appeared next to the Stargate on the planet. They all brandished their weapons, but no hidden Goa'uld or Jaffa jumped out at them. The scan that Sam and Kevin had done had been right, the planet was empty once again.

"Damn." Sam knelt in front of the DHD. It looked like an explosion had gone off in it.

"But we can just hook up a generator and spin the Stargate manually, right?"

Sam stood with a shake of her head at Jack, "Usually, yes. But, the ship we have barely has an engine sir. No extras. So, unless we're going to land it to give the Stargate a boost, and because the ship isn't quite- I'd advise against that course of action. So, it's either you find a power source sir, or," she took out a scanner, "I'll get back to basics and try to fix it."

Jack glanced around, "Teal'c, stay here with Sam. The rest of us will see what's so damn interesting about this ball of rock."

Sam sat down next to the DHD and started separating out the destroyed parts from the still intact ones.

Teal'c stood at a silent sort of parade rest for awhile before he spoke, "Are you unwell Colonel Carter?"

Sam looked up, "I'm fine Teal'c."

"Will you be able to fix it?"

Sam glanced up again, this time with a small smile, "They didn't give me a shiny bird for looking pretty. Have you ever heard of this planet in your time with Apophis?"

"I have not. But unless Apophis was assured of victory he did not approach a planet, especially if it had been ruled by Ra."

Sam shook her head, "We keep finishing off the supposed last Goa'uld leaders, and they keep popping up."

Teal'c watched the Stargate, "They are much like the Earth insects called cockroaches, they cannot ever successfully be exterminated."

"That's the truth."

oOOOOo

Janet looked out of her kitchen and into her apartment's living space. She spoke to Mel, "Do you think she's going to be okay. She's sort of freaking out."

Mel looked to where Cassie was pacing, again. "If we believe her, then you're supposed to be dead, and you're not."

"Do we believe her?" Mel shrugged, "Thank you so much Mel. You've always been a good friend to me. Unhelpful to a fault, but a good friend."

Mel shrugged again and looked out at Cassie. "Could I... suggest something? Go, touch her or something. Ya know, a hug or, I don't know. Something mother-ly."

Janet raised an eyebrow at Mel, "Something motherly?"

Mel held her hands up in surrender, "What, I've never been a mother."

Janet looked out at Cassie, "Mel, neither have I."

"Fake it 'til you make it?"

Janet blew her bangs out of her hair and shook her head. "Right." She went into the living area and put the plates full of food on the table. "Sorry about that."

Cassie turned, "No, I'm sorry about earlier. Sam always says that I lead too much with my emotions. This looks good."

All three women sat. Cassie stared down at it for a long minute before she dug in. It was finally Janet who broke the silence. "Will you tell me something about yourself- or me, or us?"

"Uh, Janet Fraiser, Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, you ah-"

Cassie trailed off so Janet asked, "Am I married?"

Cassie shook her head, "No, not currently, you, ah-" Cassie trailed off again."

"Cassie. Nothing you say will be surprising because I have no preconceived notions. I-I really don't remember anything about myself. Please."

Cassie put down her fork and shook her head, "This isn't just something that... you're gay, a lesbian." Cassie shook her head again, "I think I've stepped into the twilight zone."

"Do I have a-" Janet searched for the words, "Girlfriend, or, or, someone?"

Cassie nodded, "You, did, yes. Partner I guess, Colonel Samantha Carter."

Janet frowned, "I thought I read something, a, don't ask don't tell something?"

Cassie resumed eating for a moment, "Mmm... unfortunately. Um, where you two work, General Landry isn't going to ask, and... Sam's very careful."

Janet put down her knife and fork, "How long?"

"Seven years."

Janet fell silent, "Seven years and I can't remember her." She sighed, then changed the subject. "You're in the Air Force too?"

Cassie nodded, "The Academy at the moment. The Air Force saved me and- and even though Sam tried her best, she really did, to dissuade me. I want to work where you do and where Sam does. I want to help the world, since it saved me."

Mel finally spoke up, "Saved you?"

Cassie nodded, "My parents were killed. I don't know where I'd be without Janet, Sam, and all their co-workers and friends."

Mel's head tilted to one side, "This Colonel Carter's a Doctor too?"

Cassie met Mel's eyes with a frown, "Yes, Ph.D."

Mel didn't look away, "You're not telling me- or your supposed mother- everything."

"I can't. But I can take you home Mom, or- my home when I'm not at school."

Mel sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, "You know, we only have your word about all this."

Cassie stood and leaned over the table, "She's my mother."

Mel stood as well with a half a smirk, "Maybe."

Cassie took a step towards Mel, then took a breath and clawed at her neck. With a snap she pulled something away from her. She tossed it at Mel and turned on her heel, slamming the door as she left the apartment.

Mel held dog tags in her hands. She studied them, "Lieutenant Colonel Janet Christine Fraiser, USAF."

Janet took them from Mel and held them to the light. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, Mel frowned, "Janet, are you okay?"

A tear ran down Janet's cheek, "Sam."

oOOOOo

Jack looked at his watch, "Daniel, tell me something I don't know."

Daniel glanced over at his former team leader, "Are you having fun ordering real people around again Jack?"

"Daniel-"

Daniel shook his head, "It was a world ruled by Neith. It seems that women warriors were her protectors, but, they weren't Jaffa, they didn't carry Prim'ta in them. No men were allowed on this planet, at least to live, though, they were permitted here to, uh-"

Cameron helped Daniel out, "Breed, the word's breed Jackson."

Daniel cleared his throat, "Yes." He fell silent, then glanced around. "Where's Vala?"

There was a yell, and the three men ran towards the sound. They came to a halt in front of a brand new hole in the ground. Daniel looked over the lip, "Vala?"

"Get me outta here."

Jack stifled a sigh and clicked on his radio, "Teal'c."

"General O'Neill, we are progressing slowly here."

Jack stared down the hole, "Well, you can tell Sam that she can take her time."

"You have run into trouble."

"Ayup, but, it's minor. O'Neill out."

Teal'c looked down at Sam, "One of our team has gotten into some sort of a situation."

Sam smiled as she twisted something into place, "It's like old times, now all that's needed is-"

The Stargate started spinning and Sam fell silent. She got to one knee behind the still half ruined DHD and brought up her Zat. Teal'c also brought his Zat to bear on the circle of stone.

The swoosh, swooshed and two Jaffa in metal helmets that looked vaguely like the god Horus stepped through. Two bursts of energy sizzled around the Horus guards and they fell to the ground in heaps.

Sam and Teal'c waited to see if any others would come through. When the Stargate shut down Sam breathed out a sigh, "Teal'c."

"I will secure them. Continue your work."

oOOOOo

_"Major." Sam came to a halt in front of General Hammond and Janet._

_Sam rolled up her sleeves. "Uh, I was just talking to Urgo sir."_

_General Hammond nodded, "I see."_

_Sam let out a bit of a sigh, "Oh, I wish you did."_

_Janet tried to help, though she was facing the wrong way, "Alright, look Urgo Major Carter would like to-"_

_"Janet, he's-" she gestured to her other side, "over here..."_

_Janet was phased in the least, "Well then Urgo, Major Carter would very much like to be left alone."_

_Sam hid a smile, "Janet, as much as I appreciate it, please." Then all the mirth in Sam's face dropped away as she turned to the empty air, "Urgo, that is rude."_

_Janet looked to the empty space as if she concentrated hard enough she'd be able to see him too. "What did he say?"_

_Sam met Janet's eyes, then looked to General Hammond, "Uh, if you'll excuse me I have work to do." She gestured that Urgo should go before her, but it seemed like they were having some sort of debate over who would go first. Finally Sam stormed off down the hall._

"Janet- Jane."

Janet blinked and looked over at Cassie, "I'm, fine Mel, and I- I do think I am Janet Fraiser." She walked over to Cassie and put an arm around her waist. "Did we ever go on that row boat ride with Sam?"

Cassie turned and stared at her mother, "Yes, it was one of the best weekends of my life. You two told me about- you two. You remember?"

Janet shook her head, "Not most of it, no, but I remember the day at the lake, it's like it has a spotlight on it, and everything else is in shadow. Sam had something stuck in her head that had her seeing... Urgo?"

Cassie nodded and without warning hugged her mother with all her strength, then pulled back. "One day is better than none right? Will you come back with me tonight?"

"Flights-"

Cassie shook her head, "I have that covered."

Janet was silent for almost a minute, then nodded. "Yes."

Mel stepped in between Janet and Cassie and tilted her head to one side, "Room for me?"

Both mother and daughter looked Mel up and down. "Excuse me?"

Mel put her hands in her pockets as she faced Cassie, "Right, I phrased that wrong. I'm going with you."

Cassie and Mel wound up nose to nose, "You seem to think that this is somehow your business. It's not."

Mel smiled, "You know, I have been told that people don't like when I just- take command of a situation. I'm going with you."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. You may think that Jane- Janet's your mother and you two may share a past. You may know who she is, but I have spent the past two years with her and she knows who I am-" Mel raised an eyebrow, "She remembers me. And more than just one day of me."

Janet's steely voice interrupted Mel, "She- is in the room."

Mel inclined her head without missing a beat, "I'm sorry Janet. I haven't had a mother in a long time, but I feel-"

Janet's eyes narrowed at Mel, "If you say I remind you of your mother..."

A twinkle came to Mel's eyes, "Never. And if you say the word, I of course, will stay here."

Janet laughed and shook her head, "No you won't. Yes, I would like you to come with us."

Cassie stared at Mel for another beat and then pulled out her phone and dialed. She waited for a silent moment and then spoke, "Sir, yes sir I did." She glanced at Janet and a smile inched onto her face, "I am sir. We're ready to come home."


	7. Chapter 7

**~ About 2025 Years Ago**

"Stop moving."

Shamira glared up at Xena. "Or what?"

Xena looked around, then sighed, "Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, "When you move it makes it harder for me to-"

Shamira cut off Gabrielle, "Cauterization would have been quicker, we need to-"

Gabrielle cut off Shamira right back, "Stay still. If more of the metal heads come back, we'll take care of them."

Shamira regarded Gabrielle, "You will not be so lucky next time."

"We seldom are." Gabrielle shook her head, "So, Ra, that's the Egyptian head god like person?"

Shamira practically yanked her leg away, prevented only by a grip so strong it surprised Shamira. "He is not a god."

Gabrielle opened and closed her mouth. She shook her head again and resumed closing Shamira's wound. Xena filled the silence, "What do you mean?"

It was Hafiz who answered while Shamira stared daggers at both the women, "In fact Ra consists of a- parasite- and a host."

Gabrielle looked up with a frown, "Like Dahak?"

"Destruction, ruthlessness, general evilness?" Gabrielle nodded, "Could be, that sounds much like Sokar. Perhaps-" Hafiz paused, "We protect an artifact that Ra's- soldiers want. Though, he is no longer here on Earth."

Xena quirked an eyebrow, "An- artifact?" Hafiz stared, unblinking back at Xena, "You're not going to tell us."

"I am not."

Gabrielle stood, "We're pretty good at keeping secrets."

Shamira stood, still doing her bristling thing. "You are not a warrior of Neith."

Gabrielle tilted her head to one side, "No, just a warrior of Xena mostly."

"Gabrielle."

Gabrielle smiled, "I love it when you say my name that way. And you've taught me everything I know of fighting, war."

"What about Eponin, Solari, Melosa, or Ephiny?"

The final name caught Shamira's ears, "The Queen of the Amazons?"

Gabrielle smiled sadly, "She was my Regent actually."

That caused Shamira to go silent and still for almost a minute. "You're an Amazon Queen?" Gabrielle nodded and Shamira bowed her head slightly. "I am sorry."

Gabrielle sighed and glanced over at Xena, who just shrugged, "I'll live. So, these soldiers of Ra. They'll be back?"

Hafiz answered, "Yes, when their compatriots, the ones you did not kill don't return. We need to start north again." Hafiz paused and looked down at her fallen sisters. "After we bury our dead."

"Why north?"

Both Neith warriors looked to Xena, "To remove the artifact as far from its-"

Xena raised her eyebrows, "Friend? I understand, but, maybe I have a better way. If you trust us."

Hafiz inclined her head in the slight bow, "Gabrielle is an Amazon Queen. The Amazons are sisters to the Neith warriors. Explain your plan."


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh, wow..."

"Good wow or bad wow Daniel?"

Daniel traced the writing he was reading. "Uh, good, well. I think Neith was as old as Ra, I wonder..." Daniel glanced around, then shook his head. "Nah."

"Jackson."

Daniel shook his head, "Neith was a Goa'uld Queen. She's literally Ra's mother. Egeria's mother too. This was part of her temple." He touched the where the stone was cut and shook his head.

He started to speak again, but was interrupted by Vala's voice from the hole. "Daniel, I found something. Oh- hello- Uh, I take that back, I found some-One." Vala spoke at a slower pace, "I come in peace, well, I didn't come on purpose, I sort of fell and all, but-"

Daniel was about to tell Vala to stop speaking and step back so that he could see with whom she was speaking then he found himself on the floor in front of the unknown speaker.

Jack, Cameron were the first to regain their equilibrium, followed closely by a confused Sam and Teal'c. All four pointed their guns and Zats at a short blonde woman. "Γεια σας." The blonde paused and shook her head. "Εντάξει, αυτό δεν λειτούργησε."

Daniel was about to respond when she spoke again, "Hello. Is this better?"

The guns didn't waver. Jack spoke, "Who are you?"

It was Sam who answered as she lowered her Zat. "She's Neith."

The short blonde's eyes met the tall blonde's eyes, "You are wise. You are on my planet, and here I am, and while I have been known by that name, today I prefer Gabrielle."

Sam holstered her Zat and took a step closer to Gabrielle, "Sam, what are you doing."

Sam nodded, mostly to herself, "I can feel the Goa'uld in her."

Gabrielle wagged a finger, "I am not Goa'uld."

Daniel frowned, "Tok'ra?"

Gabrielle laughed, "You said it yourself, I am Ra's mother, so how could I be Tok'ra. That's putting the effect before the cause," she glanced at Jack, "or putting the cart before the horse." She slowly walked around Sam, Vala and Daniel, the three SG members closest to her. "You have grown quite a bit since I left Earth." She lifted the SG-1 patch away from Sam's BDU jacket. "I have heard of SG-1 and of the rest of the- Stargate teams. You have defeated more of the System Lords than the Tok'ra ever did. And you thought you defeated my son as well." She stopped in front of Teal'c. "And a Jaffa in the service of Apophis who had the strength to leave. You do your teacher proud Teal'c."

Teal'c blinked down at the shorter woman for a moment then inclined her head, "Thank you."

Jack hurfed out a breath, "Really. That's it. Mumbo jumbo about how we're not quite as young and how you know of us. Let us go. We have work to do, Sam needs to fix the DHD, and..."

Gabrielle reached up and with two fingers lowered the gun in Jack's hands, "Relax. Teal'c and Sam dispatched the two scouts that Ra sent through the "Πύλη για τα αστέρια, the Chappa'ai."

Daniel spoke up, "How many languages do you speak?"

Gabrielle glanced over, "Goa'uld, Egyptian, Greek, Latin, and English." Gabrielle's mouth fell into a bit of a frown, "Britannia." She shook herself out of it. "You?"

Jack didn't let Daniel speak, "Too many to get into. We need to fix the DHD." Jack looked at Sam, "Is it repairable?"

Sam glanced back at Jack. "I'm sorry, what?"

Jack looked peeved, but Gabrielle laughed, "You can feel her, you've been able to since that day. She's your soulmate." Gabrielle put a hand over her heart, then put the same hand over Sam's heart. "You found what everyone dreams about. Someone who looks so deeply into our soul that- they'd find something worth dying for." She took another step closer to Sam, "Of course, when we say, or think, or believe those words we never think that they'll apply to us."

"Sh-she didn't, she didn't die for me."

Gabrielle laughed as she took a step back, "Of course she did. She died for Earth, just as you would have. So, are you going to fix the DHD or what?"

Sam blinked and shook her head, "I- I can't. It's too damaged."

"Nah."

Sam nearly pitched forward as she found herself and Gabrielle by the Stargate and busted DHD. She turned in a circle, no one else was there. "What did..."

"Carter, Carter."

Sam stared at Gabrielle for a moment before she shook herself out of it and answered Jack's radio call, "Uh, sir, yes, I'm fine. I'm back at the DHD, I- I'll give it another look."

"We're on our way-" Sam listened as Daniel cut Jack off, "No Jack, we can't, this is an unprecedented find we could learn so much about-"

"No Daniel."

Sam cleared her throat, "Sir, Daniel's right."

There was silence from the radio, then a hurf, "I'm sending Teal'c and Vala back to you. O'Neill out."

"I'd help, but I've always been the storyteller. Tell me of you and the woman you can feel."

Sam sat down in front of the DHD and ran her hand over the broken edge of some of the parts. "I thought you were the storyteller."

Gabrielle smiled, "A good storyteller needs to keep her repertoire fresh."

Sam stared at Gabrielle for awhile before she shook her head and looked back down at the DHD. "It was actually Hathor who brought us together."

"Ra's wife?"

"Mmhmm, she had been entombed in a Sarcophagus in Mexico and somehow got let out. She made her way to us, and managed to work her- pheromone mojo on all the men of the base. I'm not sure why she just did the men, technically it would have worked just as well on the women. But, she left us alone and so we took back the base. She had used Daniel as her first- Pharaoh she called him, and started producing Prim'tas."

Sam glanced up and Gabrielle interjected, "Some Goa'uld Queens can produce offspring alone, others, can't."

Sam went back to work, "We sort of set them on fire quite spectacularly. Anyway, we got our commendation for saving the world, again, from General Hammond and then we worked for hours and hours on what was left of the Goa'uld goo."

"Goa'uld goo?"

Sam shrugged, "It was black, tar-ry. Quite disgusting. We didn't find much, hell, we found more when Jolinar killed herself in my head."

"Now that must be a story." Sam looked over and Gabrielle raised her hands, "Sorry, continue."

"I think I complained about an empty refrigerator, she invited me over to her house. We had, I'm not sure if it was more a dinner or a breakfast at that point. Honestly, I don't think either of us wound up caring."

"Ohh..."

Sam glared over at Gabrielle, "I didn't think that Goa'ulds were quite so-"

Gabrielle shrugged, "Actually, Neith's enjoying the show, but I'm running it at the moment. So, you didn't-"

"-we talked all night, morning, and we just- connected in a way that I'd never connected with anyone before." Sam's head tilted to one side, "Huh..."

Gabrielle smiled to herself, "Why are you so focused on getting the Stargate to work when you came by ship?"

"Faster communication." Sam paused, "And if needed, a quick retreat."

Gabrielle was silent for a moment, "Ground troops and one ship will not beat Ra."

"We know, we have more ships if needed, but-" Sam looked over at Gabrielle, "He wants something on this planet."

"Me."

Sam's head went from side to side, "Maybe."

Vala practically bounced up to the two blondes. "We're here to protect you."

"Thank you Vala, we were just talking."

Vala sat down next to Gabrielle, "I hope I didn't squish anything when I fell into your hole."

Gabrielle patted Vala on the knee, "I have not worried about things in- a couple of millennia."

"Have you fixed it yet Sam?" Sam didn't answer, "Sam?"

"I think she's working with a new idea."

oOOOOo

"What's the rest of the story."

Cassie looked over at Mel, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

Cassie shook her head and looked over at Janet. "I can't."

Mel sat back, her legs crossed at her ankles and her arms crossed over her chest. "At least now you're being honest. Are you gay?"

Cassie blinked in surprise at the change of subject, "Excuse me?"

Mel moved from her chair to join Cassie on the couch. "I get that you're a Cadet, and the Air Force is still don't ask don't tell, good thing I'm not Air Force. And it's just a question." Mel brushed a lock of Cassie's hair back, "And, I like you. People look at me and shy away from conflict, you don't seem to give a damn."

"You're a pain in the ass."

Mel smiled, "You don't seem to mind, you haven't moved."

Neither woman moved for a long few moments. And it was Cassie who finally leaned in and initiated the kiss, but after only a second she pulled away and got up. She beat a hasty retreat towards the cockpit.

"That won't work either."

Mel looked over the back of the couch, "That wasn't a con. She's beautiful and firey as hell, and... how do you know she wouldn't have spilled all?"

Janet narrowed her eyes at her friend of two years, "Because you haven't been honest with her for one thing, and she seems well acquainted with secrets."

Mel gave a hurf, "Yes, well, you're going to get to know the secrets. Somehow, I doubt that I will."

Cassie came back out, "We're about to land."

"You're our very own seatbelt light."

Cassie moved past Mel without a look, "We're about to land."

"Cassie, Cadet Fraiser, I'm sorry."

Cassie finally looked at Mel, then at her lap, "Seatbelt, we're landing."


	9. Chapter 9

**~ About 2025 Years Ago**

"What's this?"

Shamira jerked the small circular disc from Gabrielle's hands, "It's not your concern."

Gabrielle shrugged, "We're not your enemies."

Shamira didn't look as though she believed the short blonde. Hafiz answered, "A communication device. We sent a message to Neith."

Xena glanced around, even more hyper alert than she usually was. "Why would you do that?"

Shamira laughed, "Don't worry, it's nothing you primitives could-"

"-Shamira!"

Gabrielle held her hands up, "Enough, enough.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam's radio came to life, "Marks to Carter. Colonel, we have a problem."

Sam put her tool down and responded, "Ra?"

"Maybe Colonel. All we can tell right now is that it is a larger than normal Ha'tak vessel that's headed this way."

"How far out?"

There was a pause, "We don't have an exact time, less than a day though."

Sam stared up into the sky, "Get me a better idea of time."

"We're on it ma'am. Colonel, we could use some pilots and crew for this unnamed hunk if we're going to have to take on Ra or anyone."

"I'll keep that in mind Marks. Carter out." She clicked off the radio and tossed it to the ground.

No one spoke for a while after that. Sam was in some sort of a zone and even Vala seemed to understand that she shouldn't interrupt the Colonel.

Soon Jack, Cameron and a protesting Daniel appeared and Vala went to meet them. Gabrielle knelt down next to Sam, "How about Solan, the Solan."

"What?"

Teal'c translated for Sam, "She is proposing a name for the new 304 in orbit."

Sam squinted at a part, "Yeah, sure, you can name it anything if we live through this." She connected two somethings and stood. She didn't pause before she dialed Earth and hit the red half globe in the middle of the DHD.

Everything stopped and everyone held their breaths, and then it swooshed open. All the breaths out from SG-1 seemed to push the swoosh back into the Stargate and the puddle formed just as it was supposed to.

Vala whacked Sam on the back, "You did it, I knew you could do it."

Sam didn't smile, but sat down on the broken monument next to Gabrielle, not listening as General O'Neill spoke with General Landry. "Colonel."

Sam looked over, "Oh, now you're formal."

Gabrielle took Sam's hand in her own, "You will win." And then in a flash of light, she was gone.

Sam stood, "That's probably not good. Hopefully she'll come back."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, "Indeed."

oOOOOo

Janet took in the elevator as it sank into the Earth. Her rational mind wondered if she should feel claustrophobic or worried being under so much rock, but all she felt was at home.

She held Cassie's hand firmly in her grasp. She had taken hold of it right after they'd gone through the checkpoints and hadn't let go since.

They finally got to the end of the line and Colonel Davis led them out into the hallway. A man, a Sergeant, was on a ladder fixing something in the ceiling. He looked down at the newcomers and did a double take, and then he was falling and hit the ground with an oof.

To the surprise of all, including herself, Janet was the first to his side, "Are you alright?"

"Doc-Doctor Fraiser?"

Janet sighed, "That's what they tell me. Can you walk? I assume that we were headed to the infirmary so I can get poked, prodded and tested. You can accompany us."

Siler stood with help from Davis, "Uh, ye-yes ma'am."

He glanced over at Cassie, who sighed, "Long story. Very long story."

They walked in silence for awhile, getting some interested looks here and there, but no more injuries.

And then they were at the infirmary's doors. Janet took a deep breath and pushed through. Everyone in the infirmary, patient, Doctor, Nurse and Technician alike looked up. It was Doctor Carolyn Lam who approached the group. "Doctor Fraiser, it's an honor to meet you."

Janet shook Carolyn's hand, "I'll take your word for that. So-"

"With your permission, we'll start withs some blood. From that we'll both check your DNA against our records and start trying figure out why you exist, if perhaps you're from another reality, or what's going on."

Cassie cleared her throat, "Ma'am, could we try brain scans?"

Carolyn nodded, "Yes. We'll figure out all of the puzzles locked in you Doctor Fraiser." Carolyn looked over Janet's shoulder.

Cassie and Janet turned. Cassie coming to attention, Janet not. "At ease Cadet. Doctor Fraiser, it's good to see you."

An MP came jogging through the infirmary doors, and stopped in front of the General. "Sir, there's an intruder on the Mountain, but, uh, we can't seem to catch up to him sir."

Cassie practically growled under her breath. When the General shot her a look Cassie colored a bit. "Sir, permission to help find- her."

"Her?" Cassie nodded and after a second General Landry did as well, "Granted. Cadet, who is it?"

Cassie pulled a face, "A woman whose ulterior motives are now showing." With that she spun on her heel and left the infirmary.

General Landry quizzed Janet instead. "Does this woman have a name?"

"Mel."

Before more could be said the base klaxons went off, and a voice weirdly familiar to Janet spoke. "General Landry to the Gate Room, General Landry to the Gate Room."

General Landry turned, then turned back, "Can you put off Doctor Fraiser's tests for a moment?"

"No- sir."

Carolyn and General Landry faced off against each other, neither giving an inch. It was General Landry who finally backed down, "Very well, but-"

"With all haste, everything I do here is with all haste General."

oOOOOo

Cassie stood in the middle of a clearing and yelled to the wind. "I know you're out here. They'll find you. Probably kill you, you're not that good."

Cassie literally jumped as the breath of a whisper tickled her ear, "I'm better than that good Cassandra."

Cassie recovered quicker than Mel anticipated she would and so Mel wound up on her back on the ground. Cassie on top of her, with a knife to her throat. But even with the knife a hair's breadth away from her caroited Mel didn't look worried

Cassie on the other hand was so angry that her hands were shaking with the rage, "Did you do it to her? Are you the reason that she can't remember me, Sam, everyone?"

"No. I knew that the world had... been changed... and so I took a little look for her. I have no idea why she has no memory of her life."

Cassie's hands stilled, "How do you know who we are? Who are you? Tell me."

Mel stared into Cassie's eyes for a long time, then shrugged, "My full name is Cyrene Melaina Wirth. I gave myself the last name when they came into fashion. It means innkeeper. I'm, well, let's just say I'm over 2000 years old, I stopped counting exactly after about 100, got too depressing."

Cassie blinked and some of the rage dissipated, "I really should have seen that one coming."

"You're not surprised?"

Cassie tilted her head from one side to the other, then finally removed the knife from Mel's throat. "Takes more than a 2000 year old woman that looks my age to surprise me. So, why did you latch on to my mother? How did you know that she had died in the first place? Who is she to you?"

Mel stood and crossed her arms over her chest. She was silent for a long moment. It took a minute before she nodded, mostly to herself. "You're good. Do you know that. The fact that you knew it was me out here, you even got the drop on me, that hasn't happened in-"

"Stop. I don't need to be complimented, I want to know the truth. The TRUTH."

Mel nodded again, "It's my- calling to- watch over the Stargate, the DHD really."

Cassie held a hand up, "Bullshit." Mel seemed to want to respond, but Cassie continued, "but- you shouldn't have to tell your- story- twice. You kept my mother safe, no matter the reason, so I'll get you in to talk with the Stargate Command people, they may shoot you instead of talk to you, but, getting into the SGC, that is what you wanted this whole time, right? The kissing, the compliments, my mother..."

"Cassie."

Cassie stood and brushed herself off, "C'mon, we'll go in the front door, don't want you getting shot before you can feed General Landry your bullshit."

"Cassie."

The Cadet turned back to Mel and put her knife up against her neck again, "Just level with me. Is it important?"

Mel gave a short nod, "Yes."

Cassie continued their walk to Cheyenne Mountain's front gate. "After it's all done, will you tell me why?"

"I-" Mel stared down at her hands for a moment, then looked back up at Cassie, "I don't think I'll be here to do that."

Cassie stared at Mel for a moment, then shook her head and continued walking. "Whatever."

oOOOOo

"Something's going on-"

Carolyn glanced at her patient, who, despite having amnesia and being clad only in a flimsy gown looked very much in charge. "What?"

"Can't you feel it?"

Carolyn looked back down at her chart, "I wouldn't worry about it, if they need medical assistance, they'll call. So, you're not a robot, or a replicator, you seem to be Janet genetically speaking as well. And from what I can see you're from our dimension-"

Janet cut Carolyn off, "-reality, why did I say that?" Janet shook her head, "I'm sorry, continue."

Carolyn nodded, "And you don't seem to be a clone."

Janet frowned, "A clone? No, never mind, I don't want to know, and my memory, my brain?"

Carolyn put aside the chart and shook her head. "I can see no physical reason why you can't remember, no lesions or tumors or apparent brain damage. It could of course be psychological, some trauma or, something."

Janet leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, "You mean having been dead and now being undead?"

Carolyn cracked a grin, "Knew I forgot something. You're not a zombie." Janet rolled her eyes and groaned, "Cadet Fraiser had a hypothesis?"

Janet nodded, "That I'm like General O'Neill's fish. I guess you had some sort of -time- something. Before his pond didn't have fish and after the- time blip it does?"

Carolyn was silent for a moment before she shrugged, "That's not my bailiwick, but it sounds plausible." Carolyn paused, "You look quite tired. I can- would you like me to have someone take you to some quarters where you can rest?"

Janet didn't speak at first, just nodded her head. As Carolyn turned she made a request, "Would it be okay if it were Siler who took me there?"

"Sure. I'll see if he's done having his hand looked at."

oOOOOo

General Landry looked from one group in front of him to the other. One consisted of General O'Neill, Teal'c, Cameron and Daniel, while the other was Cassie and Mel.

General Landry put a hand up and everyone but General O'Neill fell silent. "Are we just letting anyone in now General?"

"Sir-" Cassie paused, then plunged on, "She would have gotten in anyway sir. I don't think this is her first time breaking and entering into a government facility." Mel stayed silent as everyone studied her.

General Landry took the silence as an opportunity to gesture towards the conference table. "Let's all have a seat. So, a Goa'uld ship is heading towards P5X-534. This- Neith has brought Sam and Vala to where she says her planetary defense system is, but, it is not currently operational. They're working on that."

General O'Neill sat, but he looked as though he wanted to charge out of his seat, "Why would Ra be going after that planet, or whatever Goa'uld it is."

Daniel spoke up, "If I had more time."

General O'Neill interrupted his friend, "We're still there searching for an answer. The plan is to have Sam see if this Neith knows what Ra could be looking for."

Cameron took his turn at speaking, "We called in enough pilots to pilot the 302s on the ship and we'll be going back through the gate. The Daedalus and Hammond are on their way, but-" He shook his head, "They won't get there before the battle starts. I really hope that Neith and Sam can get something working-"

Both Generals stood and General O'Neill spoke first, "General Landry, take command of the-" General O'Neill rolled his eyes, "Solan, I'm going to see how many more allies I can guilt into helping us. Maybe there's someone closer." His eyes went to Mel and Cassie. "Now there's you." He met Mel's gaze, "Do you speak?"

"I can help you defeat Ra."

That got everyone's attention, "Oh?"

"I was born before your Christ was."

General O'Neill practically growled back, "That's not funny."

Cassie spoke up, "Sir- Uncle Jack, I think. I think she may be telling the truth."

General O'Neill crossed his arms over his chest, "So I'm, what, supposed to let her moisy through the Stargate just on your intuition? Because you trust her Cadet? Cassie-"

Cassie stood as well, "I trusted you years ago when I probably shouldn't have. You think I didn't know of the Jaffa? I should have run the other way, but instead I trusted Teal'c and the rest of you yellow helmeted freaks." Cassie paused, "And I've never regretted it. I just-" Cassie glanced over at Mel, "Call it a harmonic frequency, or, something. She can help us defeat Ra, her reflexes..."

General O'Neill's head canted to one side, "And what's she going to do?"

Mel's eyes twinkled just a little, "I'm good at quite a many things."

oOOOOo

Siler looked one way, then the other, "Ma'am, this is- this is not the quarters that were assigned to you. I knew I shouldn't have-"

Janet put a hand on Siler's arm, "I promise I won't touch anything that looks like a computer or-"

"Oh My God." Janet was swept off her feet and twirled in the air.

"Daniel Jackson. I do not believe that Doctor Fraiser appreciates the ride."

Janet was put down and took one, then a second step back. She didn't recognize either the nerdy looking man or the intimidating looking one. "I never- wow, how."

The tall man with the tatto-ish gold thing spoke again, "Perhaps this interaction is best saved for laster, when we are not being attacked."

Janet frowned, but didn't say anything as Daniel leaned down and gave Janet a kiss on the cheek. "It's so good to see you Janet. We'll defeat Ra and then we have to all do BBQ at Sam's." Teal'c took a hold of Daniel's arm, but Daniel shook him off, "I know, I know. Translate Daniel Translate."

As they moved by Teal'c inclined his head, "Doctor Fraiser, it is good to see you alive."

Janet watched them go with a perplexed look, "Siler, they didn't even look surprised to see me."

Siler was silent for a moment, "Ma'am, we see much weirder things every day." He looked at the door to Sam's lab, "Would you like me to wait outside?"

Janet nodded, "Thank you Siler."

He cleared his throat, "Yes ma'am. You're welcome ma'am."

Janet entered the lab and closed the door most of the way behind her. She looked around. She didn't recognize most of the things and equipment in the room, but she also didn't know if that was usual for her or not.

It was mostly grays and blacks with flashing lights, but there was a flash of white at the back of the room. She went around the work bench to look at it.

It was a picture by a young hand. It had green stick figures, lots of them and they all seemed to be lying down. It also had the picture of a girl and next to the girl stood another, bigger than the girl, stick figure.

Janet smiled and then frowned. She realized that she knew. She knew when the drawing had been made, who had made it as well as what happened before and after it was made.

It was all just there. She didn't know what she'd expected. Flashes of light, a seizure, something much more dramatic for sure.

Instead it was all there and easily retrievable. She put her hand on the child's painting, then turned on her heel and resumed her life.


	11. Chapter 11

**~ About 2025 Years Ago**

Varia had her hands on her hips and a cross look on her face, "It's not just my decision, we have a Council of Queens-" She trailed off, "I had to dissuade them from from naming you the Queen of all Queens. This is asking a lo-"

Xena shook her head and interrupted Varia, "It means fighting and for a good reason." She continued under her breath, "for once."

Varia glanced over at the two women and the box they had with them. "Keep it here for a bit, then take it back south?"

"That's the plan."

"And you two?"

Xena opened her mouth, but Gabrielle was the one who answered. "We're going to move on, but, we'll be back." She glanced around. "This is our home."

Varia's jaw worked for a while and then she nodded, "I'll take it to the council and- they'll probably agree. Some are getting restless. Will you stay tonight? Our sisters would love it."

Gabrielle nodded, "We're in no rush. As for Hafiz and Shamira, I think you'll be surprised how well they fit in here."

Varia didn't look convinced, "We'll see."

oOOOOo

Hafiz watched Gabrielle, Xena and the Amazon talk. Shamira wasn't happy, "We should go now."

Hafiz shook her head, "You know that there are Horus guards still out there just waiting to get their hands on the DHD. We stay here and then-"

"Put it back where we found it?"

Hafiz smiled, "It will be the last place any of the Goa'uld will look for it. And, we, our daughters and," Hafiz looked around at the Amazons in the center of the village, "and the daughters of the Amazon Nation will be there to watch over it."


	12. Chapter 12

Janet tried to look as tall as she could among the Marines as they all milled at the bottom of the ramp to the Stargate. She didn't know why she was there. She had no right to be. She wasn't a Marine, or even an Air Force officer anymore. Not to mention she didn't want to be off world. Her first memory was of being off world and nearly dead. But she had to be where Sam was and that was on P5X-534.

The Stargate whooshed open and the mass of Marines moved forward.

oOOOOo

"Uh, Sam?"

"What is it Vala?"

Vala was silent for so long that both Sam and Gabrielle got out from under the control panel in the wall and looked over at Vala. "Vala?"

"He's here- Ra's here."

A voice spoke from the doorway, "So's backup, with help."

Sam turned on the floor, "Cassie?"

The tall dark haired woman next to Cassie also looked stunned, "Mother?"

"By the gods. Melania."

"You, I watched you d-die... how, but..."

Gabrielle's head went to her chest and when she came back up she spoke in the parasite's voice, "I believe that is my fault young one, and I am sorry for the deception, but, we decided that you needed to have room to be your own person." Her chin touched her chest again, and when she brought her head up again she sounded like herself. "Mel, I'm-" She swallowed and stared down at her hands, "I know that I've never done anything right by you, but..."

She looked up when Mel took her hands in her own. "It's... what past is past right? And we have past to spare I think. So, are we going to defeat brother Ra or not?"

Gabrielle tilted her head to one side, "That's why you're here?"

Mel blinked and then frowned at her mother, "Why else would I be here mother?"

"I..." Gabrielle shook her head. "Yes, of course we will." A small smile came to her face as she brushed her hand through the too short hair of Mel, "You cut your hair."

Mel smirked, "Women's lib, totally awesome. Of course, we've still got some ways to go, and..." Mel sighed, "Greece is not doing well either."

Gabrielle wrapped an arm around Mel's waist, "First, we'll save the universe from the seemingly un-killable Ra, then perhaps I'll take a trip... home..."

"Cassie, could I have a hand down here?"

Cassie fit her body in next to her adoptive mother figure and next to her crouched Gabrielle. They stayed that way, trying to untangle the chaos that was the control panel.

And then the chaos was outside of the control panel as Horus guards appeared all around them. Mel was the first who got knocked to the ground, and Sam and Gabrielle weren't far behind.

Vala was the only one standing, and then she let go a groan as she spoke, "Oh,- that feels funny-"

Sam caught Vala and guided her to the floor.. Mel's foot lashed out, catching one of the newly arrived Horus guards under the chin. She ducked as Gabrielle threw a round thing that clanged off the Jaffa's helmets and they all fell to the ground. It came careening back at her and she caught it without looking.

Sam and Cassie tried to staunch the flow of blood from Vala's chest, but it was a loosing battle. "A little help over here."

Gabrielle went to Sam and Cassie's side and knelt down. Mel didn't move for a long second and then she ducked out of the room. Gabrielle stood, "Melania, no."

She sprinted to the other room, but was too late, Mel lay prone on the ground.

"Damnit."


	13. Chapter 13

She was just. There. It hurt like she'd been hit by a freight train going the speed of light. She could barely breathe, and her mind was all in jumbles, and it hurt. Though she realized, she'd had that thought at least once before, and she was wasting time. She knew where she was, that damn mountain, which meant, she had no time. Cyrene Melania of Amphipolis had done all this for one reason and one reason only, and if she failed. She pushed herself up and looked around for blonde. She found it and stumbled over there, nearly doing a face plant more than once. She dove forward, wrapping her arms around the blonde and taking her to the ground.

She practically growled out the words. "Find the ashes."

"Wha-what?"

Mel pushed herself up onto one arm, grabbed Gabrielle's chin, and stared into her eyes, "Find her ashes and put them in the damn water before the sun sets." Mel stared up the sky watching as the trees caught on fire. She stood and faced the tree line. Without turning back she yelled, "Go."

Gabrielle did and Mel still waited. And then as Xena reincorporated herself she tackled her to the ground too, taking the Katana from her as they fell. Xena looked stunned. "Who?"

"Doesn't matter-" With the sword in her hands she felt a bit better, less shaking, although there was still the pain, but Mel had been dealing with pain all her life. Mostly emotional pain, but still. She pushed it to the back of her mind, soon the pain would be gone anyway.

Xena blinked, "Your Greek is..."

"Rusty, you try speaking English for seven hundred and fourteen years and see how your Greek is. Listen. Akemi's lied. How do you think the souls will best be at peace, with you dying for no reason, or saving even more people."

"But-"

Mel wrapped her arms around Xena and squeezed her close, "Your heart says live, so live, or your life, your changed life will have meant nothing. Help Mo- help Gabrielle."

Mel turned and faced Yodoshi. He ran at her and Mel met each of his sword strokes with one of her own. A frown came to his face, not that that could be told on his monstrosity of a face, "You are not dead. You cannot defeat me."

Mel went on the offensive, slashing at him, kicking and even getting a couple of elbows in. "I have been training for this all my life, and, the directions on how I got here said I'm dead so.

"You are nothing."

Mel smiled, "I know."

Xena pulled Gabrielle up from the ledge and they both gasped as they saw Mel let down her guard. Xena took a step forward, but was held back by Gabrielle, "She's..."

Yodoshi took the opening the woman had given him and plunged his sword through her gut. She fell to the ground without a sound and didn't move. Yodoshi laughed and focused on the two women. He pointed his sword at them. "You are next."

"Klavel ha, Kek kel shak." He turned, Mel was standing, and then she was swinging the sword and his head was sliced off. He exploded in a burst of light, and then the souls swirled towards the heaven as Xena and Gabrielle knelt down at Mel's side.

"Who are you? Why did you..."

"Ashes, water, please."

"But-"

Mel met Xena's eyes and stared at the warrior princess, "Trust me."

Xena nodded and Gabrielle rushed to the pool, without even a pause, she poured them in. Xena seemed to shimmer for a moment and then her entire body shook once and she blinked. "Oh..."

Mel smiled, "Thank you." And closed her eyes.

oOOOOo

Mel jerked up and looked around. "Wha? Where?"

Cassie put her hand in Mel's. "You- you almost died, but my mother got you back."

"Mother? Janet, how, when..."

Mel looked over to where Janet and Sam stood, "What was that, what happened?" She could also hear what sounded like fighting, and a lot of it. The planet sounded under seige.

"I- I'm... I'm not supposed to be here."

Cassie stood and held her hand out, "Can you walk? We need to go, now... Your... I guess I'll go with mother came in here, found you nearly dead, swore in Greek I think, took something off the ground next to you and then was gone."

Mel stood and looked around, "I was, it said that it was supposed to kill me. I'm-"

Sam took ahold of Mel's arm, "We need to get out of here, now, I think it's safe to say that they wanted whatever you just used. And I need to join the fight up on the Solan."

Mel blinked, "The Solan?" She frowned, then met Sam's eyes, "Got a spare F-302 for me to pilot?"

Sam tilted her head to one side, studying Mel for a moment that probably lasted too long, then tossed Mel a small piece of what looked like plastic and clicked on her radio. She nodded when Mel caught it out of the air without any hesitation, "I have four coming home. Do you see them Marks? When you get a chance..."

"It's now or never Colonel. And I see you on my readings. The Fraisers to the infirmary, you and the unknown to the hanger bay?"

"Affirmative."

Before Sam could finish speaking they were standing in a nearly empty hanger bay. There was only one F-302 left, and it had Sam's name on the side of it. Sam put a hand on Mel's shoulder, "Are you sure you can do this? I don't recall seeing anything about being a RIO in your background."

Mel's lips quirked into a grin, "I have many skills." Sam looked at her weirdly as she laughed, "God I've wanted to say that for my... for my entire life. Let's go kick some Ra ass." She tapped her fist to her chest and looked up towards the ceiling of the hanger, "Arik tre'ac te kek."


	14. Chapter 14

**~ About 2025 Years Ago**

"She spoke the same language as Hafiz, do you think-"

Gabrielle groaned, "I'm, ah, trying not to at the moment. I'm seasick."

Xena patted Gabrielle on the shoulder. "You tried our little trick?"

Gabrielle jabbed at her wrist until Xena caught the blonde's hand in her own and tangled their fingers together. "Do you know how glad I am to be able to do that."

"Not as glad as I am Xena. I- you were planning on not, on leaving me alone."

Xena turned Gabrielle so that they were face to face and looked right into her beautiful green eyes. "Never alone. I- I was planning on dying, well, staying dead, yes. I thought. The woman, whoever she was, it did make sense-" Xena trailed off with another shake of her head. "Maybe this has all been a feverish, feverish dream."

Gabrielle gave Xena a squeeze, "No, this was real, and we got through it, together. The woman, she just- disappeared, perhaps one day we'll find out who she was."

"And thank her, thank her profusely."

Gabrielle took shallow breaths again, and her complexion went a bit green and Xena hid a smile, "I'm- happy that some things never change."

Gabrielle winced, "I don't... it's not. Seasickness hasn't..." She leaned over the edge of the ship and threw up again.

When she stood up straight Xena handed her a mug full of water. "So, where to next?"

"You mean if I survive the trip there?"

Xena smiled and put an arm around Gabrielle pulling the shorter woman to her, "Yeah."

Gabrielle thought for a moment, "How about to Greece, then south with whatever the Hades they have in that crate. Back to the land of the Pharaohs, have to make sure that Hafiz and Shamira haven't killed each other."


	15. Chapter 15

"Cassie, Cassie. Cadet Cassandra Fraiser we're in the Infirmary, not on Cloud Nine."

Cassie looked over at her mother, "Ah, sorry- ma'am."

Janet smiled just a little, "Mom is fine, there was decompression on-"

Cassie interrupted, "I did hear it, I just..."

Janet came to where Cassie was standing and looked out the window with her, "Watching to see how Mel and Sam are doing." She took her daughters' hands in her own, "The best thing you can do for them is clear the injuries we have here. Alright? Then you can puzzle out whatever's going on in your head when they're home safe and sound."

Cassie took a breath and straightened up, "Yes ma'am."

oOOOOo

"Colonel, are you crazy?"

"Cam, we need to flank them, think you can do that."

There was a bit of silence on the other end of the radio, then Cam spoke, "Roger that Stargate Queen, Mitchell out."

Mel whistled as she aimed and shot the rail gun as Sam bobbed and weaved. Then sang, sort of,

"I met you before the fall of Rome  
And I begged you to let me take you home  
You were wrong, I was right  
You said goodbye, I said goodnight."

"Melanie."

Mel smiled to herself in the back seat, "Actually, it's Cyrene Melania Wirth. Cyrene was my- I guess you could say she was my grandmother. Melaina means, black, dark. The hair I think, though maybe my mother was just depressed that day. Wirth being an innkeeper, mother's profession, grandmother's too. Ooh... Gotcha..." The guns blazed and a death glider met its end.

Mel fell silent as the F-302 shuddered and Sam took a turn that, if there hadn't been the material between Mel and space would have flung her from the fighter. But it was like Mel's hands were fused to the controls and with skill that Sam hadn't seen in some of the most experienced RIOs on Earth. Melania Wirth made not one but two death gliders explode in the F-302's wake. "Whoa."

"That mean I get one of those birdy things? Maybe a weird lookin' leaf? I'd take silver or gold."

As they took another improbable turn Sam spoke, "Barenaked Ladies, It's All Been Done." She paused, then spoke instead of singing,

"There's that doorway in my mind again  
east village rising with the sun  
you and me who were we way back then  
you so sad and me so young."

Mel whacked at her readout, "Damnit. Four incoming, and we just got clipped and are... well, sinking's the wrong word."

Sam interrupted Mel, "We have one air to air left?"

"We're not in the air, but space, but yes."

There was a long pause, "You're not going to like this."

A laugh came from above Sam, "Colonel Carter, ma'am. I've been alive 2000 years, and I thought for sure I was gonna croak earlier today. Do what you gotta do and tell me when to fire at the sucker."

oOOOOo

"Pull them off, now, pull them out of there damnit."

Kevin Marks looked like someone had killed his puppy. "I can't just do that, we're being attacked, and the shields and..."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, okay."

Both Kevin and Janet frowned. Janet spoke, "Cassie."

The ship rocked and everyone was thrown backwards. Cassie cracked her head against a console with a sickening crack. Janet was at her daughter's side before Kevin could even get to his knees but Cassie pushed her mother away and stood at the main console, blood running down her head in multiple places. "Cassie."

"She saved me, I have to save her. Please. I'm not Sam, but I'm better than Marks or you Mom."

Janet put an arm around Cassie and nodded. "Get our family back."

oOOOOo

"20 Million Reasons, Susan Levine." Mel paused.

"There was a boy  
A very strange enchanted boy  
They say he wandered very far, very far  
Over land and sea  
A little shy  
And sad of eye  
But very wise  
Was he"

Sam spoke as she lined up her approach, "Don't know that one."

"Can't stump an immortal on song trivia can ya. Nature Boy, Nat King Cole originally, I like the version by Kerli, though she leaves out some words. I'd say it's been an honor, but, don't really know you."

General Landry came on over the radio, "Colonel, Carter, stop. That's an order. Stop."

"Fire."

Mel hit the button and took her hand off the display, "Firing. We have a breach, and.. I'm suckin' in my gut so we can get through that-"

Sam flew into the hole she'd made, then up and up. They seemed to be loosing more of the wings as they sliced through deck after deck. "Sloppy construction."

Then she stopped and hit some buttons on her own console and sat back, "Can you die?"

Mel laughed, "Ah, now you ask me that. Yep, just long lived, not like Dite, not a goddess, just got good genes."

oOOOOo

"Mitchell to-"

"Shut up Cam." Cassie cut off the communication and then with three last moves she pushed herself away from the console and collapsed into her mother's arms..

Kevin hit the intercom. "Medics to Engineering, Medics to Engineering. Now damnit."

Janet checked Cassie's pulse and leaned down next to her, "Come on, stay with me."

Kevin was staring at one of the readouts very intensely. He got an outside line, "Mitchell, General Landry, Teal'c, do you-"

Cam answered, "I see him. Is it Ra?"

"Unconfirmed, wait. Yes."

General Landry came on the line, "Let's try to get him alive."

Kevin switched what he was doing, and a picture of the ship appeared on the engineering display. "Doctor Fraiser, is Cassie awake?"

"No."

Kevin tapped his fingers on the console without pressing down. "The systems are so damaged... where would she put them?"

"I don't, I don't... close. She'd put Sam close."

Kevin slapped his hand on the console and jumped when a voice spoke from the doorway, "Do not hit my ship Lieutenant Colonel Marks. My God, what happened to Cassie."

The medic came in and all conversation stopped as he and Janet bundled Cassie up to take her to the infirmary. Sam went too, leaving Kevin and Mel standing in engineering alone. "I should, ah, get back to the bridge."

Mel nodded, "Mind if I tag along?"

Kevin glanced down the hallway, "Sure. Good shooting."

Mel shrugged, "After having to use a bow and arrow to kill a hummingbird. big missiles. Cake."

"Hummingbird?"


	16. Chapter 16

Janet sat on a stool in Sam's lab, while on the other side Sam stood.

"So."

"Yeah." They fell silent again.

Janet broke the silence a few minutes later. "Any idea why Mel still has her old memories?"

Sam shook her head, "No clue. Best guess is that the device that she used did something to her brain."

Janet smiled across the lab table. "You're best guess is light years better than some people's facts."

"Janet."

Janet looked around, "Probably not the best place to do this huh?"

"No cameras, sensitive experiments and such. Look, I-"

Janet met Sam's gaze and held it. "Tell me you met someone, got married, don't love me. I'll- I'll go find somewhere else to be."

Sam looked down at the table that she'd solved so many problems on. She ran her hand over it, "There was someone, for a while, Pete, but I-" She looked up at Janet again. "I've never been able to get you out of my head." Sam put her hand in the middle of the table.

Janet stared down at it and rolled her eyes, "Really, seven years and hand holding?" Janet got off the stool and moved to Sam's side of the table.

"I just- I don't know how much- you remember."

Janet smiled, "Oh, everything- everything-," and pulled Sam's head down, kissing her.

oOOOOo

General O'Neill stood in front of General Landry's desk. "We're quite sure Ra has been destroyed this time?"

General Landry nodded, "Yes. We brought the destroyed ship on board, and- he was quite a small man for the head of the System Lords. He's in our Morgue. Doctor Lam will be studying him."

"And Neith, Gabrielle?"

General Landry shook his head, "We don't know sir. She seems to have disappeared entirely."

"And Cassie's alright?"

General Landry let a smile crease her lips, "Her head got a little shaken up, but I believe Doctor Lam said she was getting some- personal attention."

"From Doctor Lam?"

"Ah, no, I don't think so."

General O'Neill put a hand over his eyes, "This- Me? She's not in the brig?"

"The shot she made. Not one of us could have made that. It's my official recommendation that she be offered a position at the SGC."

"What position?"

General Landry chuckled, "I have no earthly idea, but I'd rather have her with us than against us."

oOOOOo

"Mel?"

Mel sat back in the chair by Cassie's bedside, "I'm not in the clink yet."

Cassie rolled her head to one side and stared at Mel. "Sam, she won't let that happen. You really..." Cassie groaned and Mel stood and came to her side.

"I'm so sorry."

Cassie frowned up at the dark haired woman, "For- for what?"

Mel shook her head, "I shouldn't be here. Maybe if you hadn't had to..."

Cassie gave Mel's hand a squeeze, "No. Listen. I've had a bomb in my chest, and nearly died because I was Hok'tar, and... this, this is just a scratch, I promise. Would you... it's so cold in here."

Mel raised an eyebrow, "Really? That's what you're going with?"

"What?"

The tall woman took a step back, "You did not react well to my advances on the plane. I'm not someone who forces herself on women."

"I- I didn't know who you were, and I thought you were lying."

Mel smirked, "I was."

Cassie sighed, "Look, just, the bed is uncomfortable, and cold, and I want to go home. Just, I'm not proposing we... Woman, I nearly died for you, isn't that enough?"

Mel held her hands up, "I give, I give, where do you want me?"

Cassie sat up with a wince and a swallowed groan. Mel quickly slipped in behind the woman from Hanka. "Now what?"

"Tell me a story."

Mel blinked in surprise and looked down at Cassie. "What?"

Cassie put her head against Mel's shoulder, and sighed. "I- my mind is going a million miles a minute, not to mention the pain. Please."

Mel stared up at the ceiling of the infirmary and was silent for a very long time. "Would you like to know the reason that I... that I died?"

"Of course."

"My parents. My- mothers." Mel sighed, "My Mom told me so many times how they met." Mel smiled, "They were doing their washing down at the river. Hey..." Mel poked Cassie with a finger when she laughed, "I was born a couple of millenia ago, are you going to listen?"

Cassie smiled, "I'm listening."

"Right. So, river, washing for the day. So, these scruffy guys come up to them, threatening them and everything. So, my Mom steps in front of them all, her younger sister was there along with all the other village girls and offers herself to these slavers if the others go. Now, personally, I'd have just taken her and gone, but that's because I know that Gabrielle of Potedia is not to be screwed with. They didn't know that, so, they go after her, and then." Mel paused, "They take out a whip and are ready to whip Mom when out steps this tall, lanky dark haired woman with blue eyes, not a combination that's supposed to happen. She has boots and a shift on, that's it, and with her bare hand she catches the whip on its back swing, then goes about kicking the bad guys' asses, with a little help from Mom. She said that they'd always made a good team."

Mel smiled, "So, Xena's got them on the ropes, she lets one of them go and says, 'You're with Draco. Tell him Xena says, Hello.'" Mel shook her head, "My mother said that she fell in love with Xena right there. Of course, then Mom had to go chase after Xena to get her to notice the young girl from Potedia, but." Mel closed her eyes for a moment with a smile, "I've never, I'd never met her, but the first time I heard that story, I was probably two or three. Even the first time, I knew that the only reason that was alive, that I existed was to find a way to reunite them." Cassie whacked Mel on the stomach, "Hey, what was that for."

Cassie looked up at Mel, "You matter too. You- you..."

Mel put her fingers on Cassie's lips, "Thank you for caring."

They were silent for awhile, lying in each others arms. It was Cassie who broke the silence, "Your mother told you a story where she's about to get whipped when you were two years old?"

Mel laughed a little, "It was a different time-"

"Do you think they're still alive?"

Mel frowned, "I don't... I mean, I am, but my mother, Gabrielle, she died when I was twenty two. Maybe Xena."

Mel extricated herself from under Cassie and got off the bed. Cassie sat and watched as Mel retreated to stand by the window. "What did I say?"

Mel shook her head, "I wasn't supposed to be here. I had to die to defeat Yodoshi. That was one of the good things about how the artifact supposedly worked."

Cassie sat back against the headboard and pursed her lips. "Uncle Daniel said that he thought Neith could have been an ascended Tok'ra. So maybe it wasn't dying, maybe it was something that transcended you to another plane of existence. Perhaps it was there for you..."

Mel turned, "So, why don't I remember this... new reality. I have all the memories I've always had, me, one Mom. Maybe I'm not... maybe I'm dead..."

Cassie stood, only a little unsteadily and made her way over to Mel. She ran her hand down Mel's cheek, and then kissed her until they both came up for air. "Now, I know that I'm not dead, 'cause in heaven, or even in hell, my head would not hurt this much. And, your memories, maybe, you have to go find them to get the memories back."

"Them?"

Cassie shrugged and pulled Mel back towards the hospital bed. "So, do you think I have a chance of getting a posting at the SGC right out of the Academy?"

Mel laughed as they climbed back into bed. "You just saved... the... Colonel Samantha Carter. Yep, pretty damn sure. Now, go to sleep so I don't get ripped a new one by Doctor Fraiser."

"Nah, my Mom loves you."

Mel chuckled, "Only if I keep you in one piece. Shhh... sleep."

"Yes ma'am."


End file.
